Miracle of Fate
by Erienne Lee
Summary: Based on the live action Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon series. How does Motoki truly feel about Makoto, and what happens to their relationship after the Final Act? Also a pretty good re-cap of their scenes together during the show.


SPOILER WARNING: This is based heavily on scenes from Acts 31, 41, and 46. Don't read if you don't want to be surprised! This takes place sometime after the Final Act. But as the Special Act hasn't come out yet, this story is definitely my version of how Motoki and Makoto develop their relationship. Many thanks to Shingetsu and TV-Nihon for their transcripts and subtitles!

  
**Miracle of Fate**  
Erienne Lee  
10/29/04

Another thunderstorm, another lonely evening. It was the kind of night that was perfect for wearing the warm, cherished forest green muffler. That was yet another reason Motoki's partiality to the damp, chilly weather had grown. The window was a dark, gaping rectangle that occasionally lit up with the brilliance of lightning. He stood there now, forehead against the cool black glass all but oblivious to the pounding rhythm of the unseen rain. The muffler coiled around his neck like a snug serpent, subdued under his hand that held onto the end draped over his shoulders.  
  
Invariably, his mind drifted to her, as it always did during a rainstorm.  
  
Kino Makoto.  
  
Her name vibrated off the walls of his mind like the thunder rolling out of the sky. By now, her face and features were a permanent picture in his mind's eye. He could recognize her tall, lithe figure and gamine smile in the midst of a sea of people. Or, at least, he liked to believe he would have been able to see Mako-chan in the sailor-suited soldier known as Sailor Jupiter, even if he hadn't been first-hand observer to the transformation.  
  
No, it hadn't really shaken the foundations of his beliefs when he first witnessed her transformation. Shocked him, certainly. Who wouldn't be stunned to hear four simple words turn into one mind-boggling light and laser show resulting in the transformation of a super-heroine?  
  
_Jupiter Power, Make Up_.  
  
He never could have imagined hating four short words like he did those. At times like this, when he was alone, with the thunder and lightning blatantly reminded him of her, he couldn't help but loathe that one phrase. The words threw up an invisible barrier between them. They gave Mako-chan special powers and a civic responsibility.  
  
She turned into a goddess in her alternate identity--- not that she wasn't a goddess as her everyday self. But as a soldier for justice, she was the embodiment of victory and strength. As he had watched her shout the words that one time, it all fell into place. The reason she had not returned his feelings that day by the river…

* * *

He had been nervous, but more confident than ever that he had a fighting chance with Mako-chan. She had gone out on a movie date with him, after all. Alright, so maybe he hadn't been as confident when she tried repeatedly to end the date immediately after the movie. So maybe it had been more impatience or a burning need to put an end to any more wondering whether Mako-chan felt the same.  
  
"I've been thinking a lot about you," he had finally managed to get the words out. "Ever since you gave this muffler to me…"  
  
He watched her nervously, and heard his heartbeat become a muffled thumping in his ears that threatened to drown out her words. She seemed stunned and hesitant, but she spoke firmly.  
  
"I'm sorry," Makoto said, swiftly turning around to avoid his gaze, so he wouldn't see the regret on her own. "I don't feel that way at all. I'm not at all feminine, not like you think. I'm at my best when I'm fighting. A lot of people at school are even afraid of me."  
  
He wanted to deny her claims. "Mako-chan."  
  
As if his interruption fueled her argument, she whirled around to face him again. "I don't think it's going to work out. It may be disappointing, but you should quit while you're ahead."  
  
Her insistent tone made him lower his gaze in defeat.  
  
Makoto continued on, unknowingly rubbing salt in the wound. "You're asking for the impossible."  
  
He could take it no more, and steeled himself to rebound; it was his nature.  
  
"Mako-chan," he said, forcing a smile on his face. "I understand."  
  
He let out a small sound, a half-laugh, half-cry. "What can I say? I'm beaten. I've never received such a thorough refusal before," he said over his shoulder, now that he faced the river rather than Makoto.  
  
"Motoki-kun." He could hear the concern in her voice.  
  
"But," he cut her off, turning around again. "I feel relieved." He nodded to emphasize his statement.  
  
"Goodbye."  
  
Was that how he would leave her? No, he couldn't leave without first acknowledging his steadfast sentiments.  
  
"One more thing," Motoki said. "I still think you're a wonderful young woman, Mako-chan."  
  
It seemed there was no hope at the end of that day. And yet, the days directly after did not breed any awkward moments with Makoto. She still flashed a brilliant smile along with her Crown pass. She still inquired after the goings-on in his life. She still bantered and exchanged small talk with him like an old friend.  
  
A small seed of hope began to take root inside of Motoki.  
  
Then came that fateful day when Ami-chan arrived in front of the counter at the arcade, beaming a smile the Cheshire cat would have envied.  
  
"A new species of turtle has been spotted near the children's building," she announced.  
  
He should have known she was up to something, but Motoki heard nothing else past the word "kame".  
  
And so, he had been there with Mako-chan when the strange occurrences began. People on the street began to suddenly faint dead away, and frightening creatures appeared to terrorize innocent citizens. They had just found Shouta, the missing boy from the children's community center amidst the chaos of the city.  
  
Fortunately, Shouta-kun had only been hiding in a tree. With a little coaxing and a lot of scrapes and sweating, Motoki managed to rescue him. He had almost jumped for joy when he turned to see Makoto's unguardedly warm gaze focused on him. He even let himself believe there was unambiguous affection in the way Mako-chan lightly blotted the sweat from his brow. The next good sign from the heavens had definitely been the turtle song. It was always good karma when you had something in common with the girl's father, even if it was only a preference for a childhood nursery rhyme.  
  
It was simply his lousy luck that the youma chose that moment to attack, as if to save him from getting his hopes too high. Motoki was no match for the group of grotesque beings and not much in the way of defense for Mako-chan and Shouta-kun. He lay sprawled on the grass at the foot of the tree, beaten once again--- this time physically, and Makoto had no recourse but to transform.  
  
"Jupiter Power! Make Up!"  
  
He had fought out of the well of pain he was in when the flashing light and glittering radiance filled his vision. He had forgotten the smarting aches all over his body when Sailor Jupiter stood in Mako-chan's place. It was her face, her body. But everything else was all wrong, all different.  
  
And then wrong became right as he watched Sailor Jupiter battle the youma. Fearlessly. Instinctively. Expertly. She wielded lightning from the sky with a twist of her arms.  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
It was over, just like that. Waning afternoon turned to dusky evening, and the youma were vanquished. He could do nothing but stare, wide-eyed, mouth slightly agape, at Makoto.  
  
She swallowed, unsure of how to begin. "Motoki-kun… I…"  
  
"I am definitely surprised," Motoki cut in with a dry laugh. It seemed like he would always be saving her from the awkwardness of explanations. "You're like a champion of justice…"  
  
"No… not exactly," she said softly. "But I have to keep fighting enemies like the ones you saw. That's why…"  
  
She trailed off, and her meaning was clear. It cut into Motoki like a jagged shard of glass, but still he forced a cheery grin and nodded firmly.  
  
"I understand," he said, his smile faltering.  
  
He watched her in wretched silence as she turned and jogged away, continuing on her mission of justice.  
  
It was almost like trying to reach an asymptote. One step forward, two steps back. Those four short words made her unattainable. Although at the bottom of his heart, he had never given up nor changed his feelings, he had also hardened himself for almost certain disappointment. It was not his right to demand the unspoken feelings be brought to the surface, not when the safety of innocent people was at stake. How could one such as her, someone extraordinary and destined for greater things, be paired with an insignificant nobody like him? He would only interfere with her duty.  
  
Motoki, being Motoki, presented a carefree persona to the world at large. Inside, he railed at fate for doing such a thing to both of them. There was nothing else he could do. Still, he was grateful that they were good friends, that fate had put them on the earth at the same time to live their lives. She had accepted his lucky turtle charm even after her secret was out. She had said she liked it, even. That was enough for him, for now. Such thoughts were what drove him onward with his days and brought a cheerful mien to his face.  
  
Underneath it all, he couldn't stop thinking about her, about her alternate identity and what it meant. The thunder and lightning would now forever remind him of her. If the sky suddenly became overcast, he wondered if she was nearby, and if she was safe from any harm she might have put herself into.  
  
One day, he realized that his fears for her safety and self-imposed solitude were somewhat exaggerated. Mako-chan wasn't quite as alone as he thought. He had noticed it before, that there seemed to be a special bond between the girls that visited Crown Karaoke regularly. They were together more and more frequently. There was also a certain sense of purpose and seriousness in each of the girls' speech and actions. The conjecture that the other girls who gathered at Crown Karaoke were also soldiers of justice lay at the back of his mind like a niggling worm, until yet another fateful day.  
  
It had been soon after Motoki had first witnessed Mako-chan's transformation, and it was Nefurin, of all people, who confirmed it.  
  
Ah, Nefurin. Nephikichi-kun. His was an entirely different story.  
  
Oh, he wasn't a bad sort--- simply misunderstood and always short of temper. The latter was definitely an impediment to earning his salary, but with someone like Motoki keeping an eye on him, Nefurin had slowly been learning to adjust. It was during one such supportive moment when Nefurin substantiated Motoki's suspicions.  
  
Nefurin was going to commit certain courtship suicide by buying a set of water buffalo horns for Ami-chan. How could Motoki not step in? Just because his own love-life was lacking didn't mean others' had to, not if he could help it.  
  
So they had returned to the vendor on the street where Motoki had purchased the turtle charm for Makoto, in order to choose a gift for Ami. Motoki was almost positive that Nefurin had a soft spot regarding Ami-chan. Still, he certainly hadn't shelled out two thousand yen so that Nefurin could spend it on animal parts. And Ami-chan didn't deserve a gift like that, no matter how unpalatable her burnt cookies had tasted.  
  
"Nefurin, ah, I don't think Ami-chan is interested in things like that," Motoki began.  
  
"What would you know?" Nefurin retorted, busily polishing the horns. "I must give her something in return for her food."  
  
"If you could call it that," Motoki muttered under his breath. He sighed, resigned, and said more loudly, "Girls go for cuter, more amusing gifts."  
  
At that, Nephrin perked up. "Girls? Yes, that's right… Ami is a girl."  
  
Motoki nodded energetically. "They like cute things. Let's go!"  
  
Two blocks down and five minutes later, the two young men were in a pet store, gazing down into an aquarium filled with turtles.  
  
"Cute and loving, perfect for Ami-chan," Motoki declared.  
  
Nefurin's skeptical gaze was certainly no mirror of Motoki's rapt one. Even as he opened his mouth to let out a stinging retort, Nefurin spotted a small movement out of the corner of his eye. It had been the aquatic flip of a wispy fin. He turned to focus on the opalescent glint of scales through the underwater light in a nearby aquarium tank. The sign underneath it read, "_Cyprinus Carpio_, Butterfly Koi".  
  
By this time, Motoki had noticed Nefurin's wandering attention, and stood in front of the fish tank, inspecting the sinuous movements of its inhabitants.  
  
Nefurin pressed his fingers against the cool glass. "I will take this one."  
  
Motoki raised an eyebrow at that. "Why not a turtle? Fish have no feet, they're not fun."  
  
He received a withering sideways glance for his remark.  
  
"It's perfect for her, for her powers. A creature of water," Nefurin murmured, more to himself than Motoki.  
  
"Eh? Powers? A creature of water?" Motoki was puzzled, but it hit him the next minute. "No! Don't tell me Ami-chan is just like Mako-chan… I had suspected the other girls ever since I saw Mako-chan tra---"  
  
He halted in mid-sentence, not sure whether he should reveal the secret to Nefurin, and let out a small, nervous laugh. "Nevermind."  
  
Nefurin gave him a piercing stare and did not speak for a moment. "So, you know," he finally said.  
  
Motoki's jaw dropped, never expecting his suspicions to be verified. "You mean… so it's true? The other girls, Usagi-chan, Ami-chan, Rei-chan… Even the strange little one, Luna?"  
  
Nefurin gave a small nod and moved away, saying no more, leaving Motoki standing rooted to the spot to mull over the unexpected truth.  
  
Finally, he came to a conclusion.  
  
"So, at least she isn't alone in her fight," Motoki said, looking up to see Nefurin holding a plastic bag filled with water and the butterfly koi.  
  
Nefurin watched the movements of the fish intently and agreed with Motoki. "They have each other. You don't have to worry about her. They… are special," he admitted, giving Motoki a knowing look.  
  
Motoki flushed and let out a small embarrassed laugh. "No matter how strong she is, I can't help but worry. It's ridiculous, I know. I can't do anything, while she--- she…"  
  
There was silence for a moment, as Nefurin seemed to absorb his words. The expression on his face said that he understood exactly how Motoki felt, and he did not like it one bit. But how could Nefurin be in the same position? Unless…  
  
But then Nefurin let out a derisive laugh.  
  
"Idiot!" he said, breaking the strained tension in the air.  
  
They had left it at that.

* * *

Time passed, and Motoki knew that the clandestine activities of the girls were declining. He no longer saw them gathering at the Crown with somber faces, nor did he see them suddenly rushing out to who-knew-where without a backward glance at him behind the counter. His relationship with Makoto remained steadfast. He would still occasionally share a meal with Mako-chan, or catch a movie. But he was afraid to do anything more, while at the same time longing to ask her that particular question a second time.  
  
It was only on nights like this one, where the rain whipped relentlessly on the windows and the thunder rang out loudly and angrily, that he would let himself reminisce, muse, and ponder on the what-ifs and why-nots. He was lost in his thoughts, and only the peal of the doorbell brought him out of his reverie.  
  
Motoki gave one last sigh before pushing himself off of the windowsill to make his way to the front door. He threw the door wide open, and didn't allow whoever it was a chance to greet him.  
  
"Hai! Who's out in this nasty wea---" he stopped in mid-sentence as his eyes alighted on a thoroughly sopping and bedraggled Makoto standing on his doorstep.  
  
She had never looked so beautiful to him as she did now, with her hair plastered to her head and the tip of her nose red from the chill air. She held up a basket and gave him a small smile.  
  
"Are you hungry?" She sounded slightly nervous.  
  
"Mako-chan," Motoki said, and he couldn't stop the huge grin from appearing on his face.  
  
"I… Well, that is…," she trailed off, lowering the basket to her side as her confidence drained.  
  
Her sodden form finally registered in his mind, and Motoki quickly pulled Makoto inside, slamming the door shut against the wind and rain.  
  
"Mako-chan, you don't have to explain anything," he said.  
  
She looked at him, at his familiar face and the muffler he wore and the shirt with the turtle stitched onto it, and the reason she was there sang loudly in her heart. She smiled again.  
  
"No, I do. That is, I wanted you to know that, while I am a soldier of justice…" she said, looking him straight in the eye. "I'm also a soldier of love. I don't need to be alone. I've known that for a while now. I'm not destined to be alone, no matter what my past life dictated. And it was because of you, Motoki-kun, that I've matured as a senshi."  
  
She took a deep, expectant breath.  
  
And Motoki let out an elated shout.

  
Owari. (End.)

(c) 2004 Erienne C. Lee

* * *

End notes (in the unlikely event that someone is interested):  
  
- In case you didn't understand it, most of the story--- the part in the middle--- is a series of flashbacks, based on episodes 31 and 41. Only the first and last few paragraphs take place in the present, sometime after the Final Act.  
  
- Did I have a hard time figuring out a title for this fic! "Miracle of Fate" comes from one of my favorite quotations, "What a miracle of fate that we could live our lives at the same time on earth."  
I was also listening to Sailormoon songs like I usually do when I write SM fics and one of the tracks was the PC Engine single, "Onaji Hoshi ni Umareta Futari Dakara" (Because We Two Were Born on the Same Planet). The lyrics echo that quotation, and I thought it was very fitting for Motoki and Makoto. I also put the gist of that into one of the lines in this story.  
  
- Hmm, yeah, I just HAD to put Nephrite/Nefurin in the story. I kept wondering what he would have gotten Ami-chan, and this is what I came up with. I know she already has a tank of fish in her room, but Nephrite wouldn't know that. Oh, and butterfly koi are gorgeous. :)  
  
- Another thing regarding Nephrite/Ami. The part where Nephrite is supposedly thinking about his own unattainable girl doesn't necessarily involve Ami. He could be thinking about Beryl. You're free to think of it either way, since it seemed like he still had some sort of feelings for her.  
  
- I wrote this late last night when I felt like I was going crazy with personal problems. It felt good to have control of something, anything, even characters and their thoughts through the keyboard. I've wanted to do a one-shot for a while now, and after FINALLY finishing the PGSM series, I really, really wanted to write about Motoki. It's just sad that I didn't sit down to crank this out until something bad happens to me. --;


End file.
